Work supporting and guiding device



C. A. GREEN.

WORK SUPPORTING AND GUIDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1919.

1,385,538. Patented July 26, 1921.

Fig.1.

Inventor. Charles Afifeen bYMWkM Attys.

UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. GREEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO, JOHN E. SWANSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WORK SUPPORTING AND GUIDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2o, 1921.

Application filed November 15, 1919. Serial No. 338,357.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. GREEN, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of- St. Louis, county of St. Louis City, State of 5 Missouri, have invented an Improvement in l/Vork Supporting and Guiding Devices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in work supporting and guiding devices for moving the work. in a predetermined path relatively to a fixed point whereby a desired line may be traced upon the work. 7 p

More specifically the invention relates to improvements in shoe. making machinery, and comprises means whereby a predetermined mark, line of perforations, or line of stitching may be applied to apart of a shoe such as the line marking the usual tip 0 the vamp of a shoe in imitation of a cap.

In a construction of certain types of shoes an arcuate line ofstitching is made across the tip of the vamp to simulate a toe cap. This is usually accomplished in a series of operations. When the vamp is cut by hand from a pattern the cutter usually stamps two points onopposite edges of the vamp to indicate the end of the line of stitching,

or of perforations. Another operator lays a form upon these points and scribesfa mark connecting them. When dies are used for cutting vamps for suc urposes the dies are provided with means or cutting nitches at the proper poin-tsin thefedges of the vamp. The stitcher then sews one or more rows ofstitching along theline thus marked.

This line of stitching is curved, being either as automatically to pass the work by a fixed point in such a manner that the fixed point will pass over a predeterminedline upon the work. .When the device is used in combination with a sewing machine the work support is .so :guided thatthe operator is required merely to position-the vamp, or-other article being operated upon, properly upon the work support and move the same forward, the work support then being guided in such a manner as to. produce the desired line of stitching whether the same be an arcuate l1ne, or an erratic curve, or a fanciful line.

It wlll be understood that while the device illustrated herein is particularly adapted for use 1n connection with the sewing machine it may be employed in combination with any other type of machine which is adapted to scr be a llne or to produce a series of perforatlons or to apply any desirable design for which the device is adapted.

preferred embodiment of the invention: is illustrated herein as applied to the table.

trating in dotted lines a line of stitching simulating the edge ofthe toe cap of the s oe.

d Fig. 2 is a plan view of a preferred form of work support and guide embodying my lnvention. f f Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of a modified form of pivotal connection'for a work support of the type illustrated in Fig. 2, the greater part of the work support being broken away. The work support and guide illustrated in the accompanying drawings is shown as applied to the table 1 of a sewing machine of any usual type, provided with a, vertical reciprocating needle or needles 2 which are diagrammatically illustrated in their positionrelatively to the table'and work support. 7 g 9 The sewing machine may have the usual presserfoot and feeding mechanism and may operate in the usual manner. It has therefore not been deemed necessary to illustrate the sewing machine in detail. The preferred form of work support and guide which is illustrated herein comprises a work supporting member or plate?) preferably substantiallyin the form of a segment of a circle, having an arcuate slot. 4

to provide a path for the needle-of the sewstitching, which is a section of a circle, upon the work carried by the work support.

A shoe vamp 6 such as is shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated in Fig. 2 in dotted lines as in the proper positionnpon the work support. The vamp 6 is provided with notches 7 and 8 upon its opposite edges which serve to indicate the proper position with relation to the work support, and in order to position the same properly when a true arcuate line of stitching is required an indicating plate 9 is secured to the work table 1 in such a manner that its arcuate edge 10 defines the line of stitching which will be formed in the vamp 'as the work supporting member is oscillated. In order to position the vamp properly therefore, the notches 7 and 8 are placed directly over the arcuate edge 10 of the guide 9.

In many instances it is desirable that the line of stitching placed upon the vamp to indicate the margin of toe cap shall be an irregular curve and to accomplish this purposemeans are provided which will enable the work support to have a motion which is the resultant of a bodily'radial movement, as well as the lateral movement which is imparted to it to carry the work past the stitching point. This is accomplished and embodied in the invention disclosed in Fig. 2 by providing a slot 11 in the plate 3 to receive the pivot 5 to permit the radial bodily movement of the work supporting member. The work supporting member is provided with a pattern. slot 12 of the desired'curvaturev or form, and the edge 13 of the pattern slot is normally held in contact with a guide, which desirably is in the form of a roller 14 mounted upon a suitable stud 15 extending upwardly from the table 1. The edge 13 of the pattern slot is held in contact'with the roller by resilient meanssuch as a helical spring 16 which is mounted upon. a stud 17 projecting from the plate 3 and abuts at its opposite end against a block 18 which is fixedly secured to the table 1.

.The plate 3 desirably may be provided with anextending finger piece 19 by which it may be grasped to enable the plate to be oscillated readily It also desirably is provided with an upwardly extending projection or flange 20 which is adapted to engage the presser toot of the sewing machine to limit the oscillating movement of the work support so that .the needles of the sewing machine will'not en age the metal of the work support.

norder to provide for the proper placing of Vamps which are not provided with notches or other indications for the ends of the line of stitching, and also to provide for different sizes of vamps, an adjustable guide desirably is secured to the work supporting plate. A preferred construction bout its pivotal support.

which is disclosed herein comprises a guiding bar 21 which is slidably secured in ways formed in bosses 22 and 23 extending up wardly from the central portion of the plate 3, and the slide 21 is secured in adjusted po sition by a screw 24 seated in the slide 21 and adapted to engage the plate 3 and by such an engagement to clamp the slide against the ways. In use the slide 21 is so positioned that when it engages the central portion of the inner edge of the toe portion of the vamp, and the toe of the vamp placed in the same radius relatively to thepivotal stud 5, the vamp will be in proper stitching position. p 7

Other means for pivotally mounting the work supporting plate may be employed, such as the preferred. form illustrated in Fig. 3, in which the plate 3 is pivotally secured to a bar 25 which is slidably mounted in a guide-Way formed in the rectangular upper-end 26 of 'a post 27 which is secured to the table 1. The slide 25 is provided .at itsopposite end with a helical spring 28 which abuts against a bracket 29 secured to the table 1. The spring 28, like the spring 16 in-the construction shown in Fig. 2 serves normally to force the plate 3 outwardly, (to the right) so that the edge 13 of'the pattern slot engages the guiding roller 14 .A' set screw 30 mounted 1n the side of the rectangular upper end of the pivot 26 maybe provided to engage and clamp the slide 25 against longitudinal movement, thereby securing the pivotal support voifthe plate 3 against movement, and enabling the work support to be swung in the true arc of a circle about its pivotal connection31 with thelend of theslide 25. v 1

It will be understood thatthe embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is 'illusr. trative and not restrictive, and that various modifications in construction, size and arrang'ement of parts may be made within the spirltand scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to securebyLetters'Patent is': v

i '1. A work supporting and guiding device for sewing machines comprising a' manually movable member aving an arcuate slot therein to provide a path for the needle, and an arcuate guide located beneath said slot for indicatmg theflpo'sition for the work upon said work supporting member to cause the needle to produce-a predetermined line of stitching in the work as} the work supporting member is moved about said pivot. i 2. A work supporting and guiding device for sewing machines, comprising a plate havin an arcuate slot therein to prov de a path or the needle of the sewing machine, a pattern slot, a'stationa guiding member in said slot, a pivot for said plate, and means pllvotally mounted'work supporting yieldably connecting said plate to said pivot acting to force the wall or said pattern slot against said stationary guide.

3. A work supporting and guiding device for sewing machines, comprising a plate having an arcuate slot therein to provide a path for the needle of the sewing machine, a pattern slot, a stationary guiding member in said slot, a pivot for said plate, and means yieldably connecting said plate to said pivot acting to force the wall of said pattern slot against said stationary guide, and a radially adjustable guide secured to said plate for positioning the work properly thereupon.

4. A work supporting and guiding device for sewing machines, comprising a plate havin an arcuate-slot therein to provide a path tor the needle of the sewing machine, and a pattern slot having a wall corresponding to the line of stitching to be made, a stationary guiding member in said pattern slot engaging said wall, a pivot for said plate, and means yieldably connecting said plate to said pivot, acting to force the wall of said pattern slot against said stationary guide. I

5. A work supporting and guiding device for sewing machines comprising a plate having a slot therein to provide a path for the needle of the sewing machine, a pattern slot, a stationary guiding member in said slot a pivot for said plate and means yieldingly acting upon said plate to force the wall of said pattern slot against said stationary guiding member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES A. GREEN. 

